Minnesota State Parks Revisited: Frontenac State Park

 

Frontenac State Park

Date Hiked: September 19th, 2025

Trail Hiked: Bluffside Trail, Pleasant Valley Lakelet Prairie, Lower Bluff Trail, Lake Pepin Overlook Loop, Prairie Loop, Villa Maria Loop

Distance Hiked: 10.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 984 ft. 

Duration: 3h 43m

It's weird how a nine month differential can be such a polar opposite experience, but that's Minnesota for ya. 

In January of 2025 as I was speedrunning my apocalyptic snow trudge depression crash totally meant to distract myself from the void that was a mere one-sided longing for the impossible, I'd climbed through the Hiking Club trail in a haze almost as thick as the fog that covered the lake overlook. Nine months later, in a state of elation and contentment, the overwhelming energy to get the verified complete badge on as many of Frontenac's trails as possible was only matched by the silence where Mean Brain once reigned supreme. 

Starting along the prairie route was a choice, mostly getting the relatively bland portion of the park behind me before I started exploring the edges of autumn in the bluffs, but as far as prairie trails go, it isn't bad. There's a little lakeside and the Villa Maria Loop to knock off another badge in a short diversion. But then, once the trail begins to escalate and the mosquitos become every horror movie villain contained in a bloodsucking parasite, shit gets real in a hurry in the best of ways. 

Even after spending a good portion of the summer hiking/climbing mountains in Washington state, it's readily apparent that the bluff trails at Frontenac are no joke. Initially climbing through the woods, being swarmed by lingering spider webs like Shelob is around the corner and you're about to be a tasty glowy snack, the elevated lake view of Pepin gives a small reprieve before the real descent. Wooden stairs in a dampened and creaky state lead one along the Lower Bluffs like a hilarious test of walking diagonally. The amount of downed trees covering a trail with blazes everywhere indicating some kind of race would be transpiring in the near future only slightly made me fear for the number of three letter knee tears that would commence should they not be removed. While wintertime provides Jupiter conditions but no leaves to obstruct the views, late September gives leaf canopy obstruction but no ice on which to slip into a Pepin-sized oblivion before trekking poles even attempt to regain some semblance of balance. 

Frontenac doesn't have the distant planet dystopian vibe of, say, Lake Bronson in the winter, but there's still something ethereal about it. Nestled between Red Wing and Lake City, which in the summer are overrun with tourists and vehicle traffic, Frontenac stands out like the educated but quiet friend who doesn't leave the island often and is completely content with the solitude. On a weekend of lovely weather and pristine conditions, I encountered maybe three people the entire time, including one who informed me they got all the spiderwebs out of the way for me. Oh, how the aspiration motivated me through the steep ascent back to the non-steep trails. Silky arachnid origami projects dancing around my sensitive skin, I was relieved, as it could've been much worse. 

Minnesota State Parks Revisited: Interstate State Park

 

Interstate State Park

Date Hiked: June 19th, 2025, September 8th, 2025,  September 24th, 2025

Trail Hiked: Walter F. Mondale River Trail, Railroad Trail Loop, Swedish Immigrant Trail, Sandstone Bluffs Trail, St. Croix River Lookout, Glacial Pothole and Ice Age Trail, Summit Rock Trail, Lake of the Dalles, Eagle Peak, Skyline, and Ice Age Loop

Distance Hiked: 13.8 miles, 5.9 miles, 9.0 miles

Elevation Gain: 1089 feet, 778 feet, 968 feet

Duration: 4h 19m, 2h 19m, 3h 24m

I've visited Interstate Park three different times since the Hiking Club speedrun. It's one of the best within reasonable driving distance of the metro, and with enough interest and intent, it's easy enough to go across a short bridge and explore what the Wisconsin side has to offer as well. Interstate, you say? So it's not just a clever name. 

While I've done the Hiking Club trail from the office area to the pothole trail numerous times, it's the easiest way to get to the others, especially when wanting to accumulate miles, elevation gain, and a good warmup for trying not to slip on very smooth rocks. These three adventures could not have come at more diametrically-opposed times in my personal life, though to be fair the latter two in September might as well be the same hike in terms of trail diversity and intent, but that's not really the point. 

When one is an introvert and looking to avoid massive crowds and trail tourists, the best time to get somewhere like Interstate State Park in late June is barely after sunrise. The parking spots are still available and the trails aren't clogged with people randomly stopping and taking 38 selfies while paying no attention to those trying to get around them in a very narrow area. Everyone has the right to be on the trail, but at least show a little etiquette, that shouldn't be too much to ask. Let people pass, pay attention to the surroundings, and maybe one selfie is enough? 

In June, I was in severe distress, and I thought knocking out some verified complete trails might help ease the anxiety. After the first half of the Hiking Club out-and-back, I headed through Taylor's Falls to the Swedish Immigrant trail, which is allegedly part of the park according to AllTrails. I'm honestly not sure if it is or why a small portion of what is clearly a longer bike trail is included in the listings, but hey, it's another verified complete badge to pursue, so add another 8 miles on a day that was hot enough that I wasn't even self-conscious about hiking in only a sports bra on top. Heading back through the Railroad Trail was easy, if clogged, but the Sandstone Bluffs trail after 11 miles on a very hot day is a good way to push the limits. 

September's hikes though, those were more celebrating the lifting of the Sickness, enjoying how happy I've been, and knocking out some of the Wisconsin side. While Minnesota's climbs along tough ridges, Wisconsin's spread out over wider and more diverse landscapes, not to mention some impressive climbs. The only thing more plentiful and annoying than the tourists are the bugs, though. June or September, expect to be brushing spider webs off, slapping mosquitos, and checking for ticks constantly regardless of how much repellent has been deployed. Wisconsin's side also seems to be more open to Geocaching potential, whereas Minnesota's parks are seemingly allergic to the possibility.

  

Superior Hiking Trail #1-12 - Twin Ponds Trailhead to Rose Garden Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 12

Twin Ponds Trailhead to Rose Garden Trailhead

Date Hiked: May 4th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 13, Map 1 - Section 14

In most cases, I would be moderately annoyed that this is the opposite of a nature trail. The absence of a nature trail. The antithesis of a nature trail. It is not in nature, nor is it an actual trail, except for the very beginning where the website (at the time) was cautioning people over vagabonds in the area. I found that weird, considering that thru-hiking is mostly just vagabonding with a budget, but I also know for whom those warnings are. Regardless, there was evidence of people existing near the end of the descent, and I still managed to survive the whole way to the concrete bridge crossing the highway, so I lived to tell my tale. 

Though this is not a nature trail, as repeatedly mentioned, it's hard to complain when the urban trail portion of this hike goes through Canal Park, by the Aerial Lift Bridge, and along the shore of the big lake. Fortunately for me, it was not between Memorial Day and Labor Day, so moving about without clusters of tourists being oblivious to anyone walking around them was not an issue. I also made use of Lyft, with which is not something I'm usually comfortable, but doing section hikes two days in a row led me to not wanting to waste energy doubling back, so I parked at the Hartley Nature Center and got the ride to the Twin Ponds trailhead, which is something I wish was available for future portions of this travelogue, spoiler alert. 

Duluth is one of my favorite places in the world, and the day was immaculate for photography and hiking. After dodging the construction around the Amsoil Arena, the slip bridge was up, which somehow takes more time to complete its process than the lift bridge, but spending time in Canal Park without the mob while the weather wasn't "biting face off" levels of cold was a unique privilege all the same. 

The recently-revitalized trail along the shore heading toward Fitger's is a lovely upgrade from years past. If there is an advantage to being on a paved section of the trail, it's giving the trekking poles a break and just taking in the scenery, at least before the ascent through the streets in section 13. Sometimes the lake breeze on my face and the calming sound of the lake hitting the rocks on the shore is the perfect place for recharging energy, at least with one long section hike the previous day and more difficulty looming after a walk through the rose garden. Having seen that lake when it decides it's tired of everyone's shit and wants to show off how frail and temporary anything floating on it truly can be, relative placidity makes for a considerably easier pace.

After paying respects to Uncle Harvey and his emblematic representation of poor decision-making, there's a little more of Duluth's urban parks to get through. The remainder of civilization with which to intermingle precedes the lingering emptiness of Section 2. 

 

 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-11 - Haines Road to Twin Ponds Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 11

Haines Road to Twin Ponds Trailhead

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 9, Map 1 - Section 10

 

Not all miles are created equal. 

 

For example, the 12.5 miles of this hike are not equivalent to the same distance on the nearby Munger trail. While there may be gentle grade on an old railroad trail, it is generally easier to add distance without nearly as much of a strain. This section, these 12.5 miles, had just under 2000 feet of elevation gain. This trail proved wonderful for spending some of my summer hiking mountains in the Pacific Northwest, and that is not hyperbole to say. Most of the state may not be able to provide such practice, but the Superior Hiking Trail be all like "what's that, a hill? What if we went straight up? What mud? Here's a rock, have fun." That is not a complaint, for the record, just an observation. This trail is not for novice hikers. 

 

By the time I reached this section, I was regretting my life decisions. I had a ride waiting to meet me at an undetermined stopping point, and I figured with only a mile and a half to go, I might as well knock out just one more section. What harm could it do, after all? 

 

Sections 8-11 took nearly six hours for me, and I am nothing if not stubborn. On a relatively flat trail, I can usually average 16 minutes a mile speedwise. This hike? It was a 27 average, and if you haven't gathered by now, I am no beginner-level hiker. That is also not a complaint, because I wanted the challenge. I had dreams of hiking Mt. Si as my first (which would happen, but that's for another day), so the Superior Hiking Trail was exactly what I needed to prepare myself. 

 

But I really should've stopped at Haines Road. 

 

I've been spoiled by trails with bathrooms and water fountains. My empty water bottle clanging in my backpack pocket, taunting me with its severe lack of hydration, I was stumbling toward Enger Park, aiming for some arbitrary stopping point based on a now-irrelevant scene from a memory, but alas.

 

One thing that perked me up was the Forgotten Park, as from the Hiking Club trails you'll know that the chance for abandoned photography is always a booster in the point system. Passing a basketball court with a Cthaeh habitat dominating what once was a basketball court made me forget about my zero percent physical battery. 

 

Minnesota State Parks Revisited: Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park

 

Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park

Date Hiked: June 1st, 2025

Trail Hiked: The Hiking Club Trail

Distance Hiked: 3.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 154 feet

Duration: 1h 5m

 

With this being one of the parks toward the end of my speedrun to which I barely paid any attention, I felt like I owed it another chance, perhaps even without an addition trek through deep and drifting snow. Some will be surprised by this, but there wasn't any snow on this June day in Minnesota, though I wouldn't rule out the possibility of its occurrence. Anywhere near the Great Lakes region knows of at least one story with a massive surprise well out of season. 

 

Though I had enough bug spray to take down an entire horror movie-level swarm of mosquitos like the time I explored the ghost town of Taconite Harbor, there was another menace that put me in sensory hell that bug spray couldn't help against: the seemingly millions of spiderweb-like strands of silk hanging off the trees. The first time around, I was mindlessly trekking through heavy melting snow, but this time I was swiping my arms nearly the entire time. You know that feeling when there's a hair on your shirt and it's tickling your arm but you can't find it? Imagine that but magnified exponentially. At least with mosquitos, occasionally there's the satisfaction of a neutralizing swat that'll take care of at least one potential itchy situation. Not so when you're a few spinny spins away from doing a glowy Frodo impression from Shelob's Lair. 

 

The history of this park cannot be glossed over, and as I stated in many travelogues, I never intend to dissuade anyone from attending any parks in the diverse and plentiful Minnesota State Park system, nor does anything I say about the hiking trails specifically apply to the park itself. But if this hike were a person in high school, it'd be the one in the group project that talked a big game and came from a locally-famous family that owned a couple car dealerships, but once it was time to produce a piece of multimedia that their second uncle twice-removed was able to do for free to help the project, they shrugged like they'd never suggested it, then skip the rest of class to go repeatedly hang out in the boys' room. 

 

With my experiences being "there's snow in my allegedly waterproof boots" and "maybe if I had a paper-thin machete-like instrument, I could at least cut a swath through this silky, sticky situation," I understand that my judgment is coming from an experiential point of view that may not apply to most of the population. However, the lack of Mille Lacs lake views is also rather surprising, given its proximity and, oh I don't know, the name itself? I'm well aware that it's eponymous of the indigenous people and not of the lake necessarily, but what can I say, I'm biased in favor of grand views of massive lakes when I go hiking. 

 

It is not a bad park, but outside of a second speedrun to beat my first for some reason, I don't anticipate a return.  

Superior Hiking Trail #1-10 - Skyline Parkway to Haines Road

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 10

Skyline Parkway to Haines Road

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 9, Map 1 - Section 11

 

This was one of those hikes where I wished I'd chosen to stop one section before I did, and the empty clanging of my water bottle only further emphasized that lack of better judgment. 

 

With this early May jaunt providing tremendous views of Canal Park and the big ol' eponymous gnarly bitch of a lake, it was also accompanied with a surprising level of heat to which I had not yet adjusted. After all, mere weeks earlier I was pushing myself through temperatures with a minus in front of them and questioning my life choices for pressing on through thigh deep snow in a town where they'd have to figure out where it was before even attempting to find my Shining-esque, hilariously frozen hiker face amongst the rest of the Nothing. 

 

Reflecting on these hikes now, given how long it's been since my entire summer of displacement, disappointment, heartbreak, and dearth of terrible decisions, it's hard to remember when completing this trail was the foremost goal in my mind. As of this writing, recent attempts to pick up where I left off in section 3 have led me to pick the wrong place for an entrance, be warded off by the dangerous levels of smoke being about, and also opting for paved, photogenic lakeside paths when I've been up in the arrowhead. Perhaps I'll continue finding sections to highlight on my massive poster when spring comes back around, but it feels like a different lifetime when I was pursuing this milestone, so the distinction between sections is a bit harder to recall than it was months ago when I was penning these entries as they were fresh in my mind. Life comes at you fast, and if you don't flip Ferris Bueller the bird and empathize with poor Jennifer Gray's character, you could miss it.  

 

The Brewer Park loop section is among the more difficult in Section 1, including for making Enger Tower appear much closer than it actually is, at least by hiking standards. It reminds me a lot of the bluff trails in the Hiking Club reviews, with the trails along the edges of massive hills and rocks. They make one grateful for the scenery and relative lack of leaves that haven't obstructed the views quite yet, but also for trekking poles, as one slip on the steep elevation gains and declines could make for a less than pleasant afternoon from headbanging with a rock the size of a bulldozer.  

 

While the views of the urban landscape, particularly of the gorgeous architecture that is Duluth, the scenes in distant, diorama spectacle aren't quite equal to crossing roads and dodging drivers uploading their panoramic shots with thumbs visible in the corner while driving up the hills. It may be part of the territory for section 1 before it becomes dystopian levels of rural, but it's still not what I prefer in the general context of hiking. Though by the time the trail reached lakeside, it was paltry by comparison.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-9 - Waseca Street to Skyline Parkway

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 9

Waseca Street to Skyline Parkway

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 10, Map 1 - Section 11

I had to keep reminding myself that this was the urban section of the trail. Duluth is magical that way, in the sense that you can be near a dense section of the city, but within a few steps, you're transported to something that feels like it should be 100 miles north. The noise doesn't always reflect that illusion, but Duluth does an amazing job of providing that separate immersion without the necessity of pushing onward beyond cell phone signal or bathrooms that would make characters in a Laura Ingalls Wilder setting feel a bit apprehensive. I'm sure there are people more rugged than me that laugh at such an idea, but they're also the ones who can sleep outside and not be constantly worried that there's a bug crawling on their skin, so I take any mocking condescension with a "you were raised in this shit and are used to it" grain of salt. With how I grew up, my family's idea of camping was sleeping on Grandma's couch instead of one of the guest rooms because more than my parents and sister were visiting at one time. Don't laugh, that couch had abrasive ridges that would leave imprints on my face, and my skin is so sensitive to texture that it takes over my entire internal monologue. 

Hey, it's almost like that's why I'm pushing through as much of this trail as I can before the mosquitos invade or something! Even if they aren't biting me, the feel of anything buzzing or crawling near my skin (these wounds they will not heal), fear is how I fall into a constant state of swatting around my head and getting the sensation of prickly little pointy bastards on my arms whether they're there or not, thus confusing what is real. 

Might be a stretch, but there is a Lincoln Park in Duluth and I can't not hear that shit in my head every time it's even mentioned. Say you were a teenager in the late 90s without saying you were a late teenager in the late 90s, check. 

I probably could've paid more attention to where the sections were splitting between each other, but that would involve looking at street signs and such, and my mind was indeed elsewhere along this hike. Like other sections, every mile was at least twice earned. 6 miles of flat hiking was not 6 miles of Superior Hiking, and the ascents and descents were quick to remind me of that whether I asked for confirmation or not. 

I could see Enger Tower in the distance, though the distance could've been deceptive, given how easy it is for a massive structure on top of a giant hill to stand out. It was still a good motivating waypoint, though the amount of sweat I was producing led me to once again question my life decisions and my compulsive, obsessive need to push past ridiculous and arbitrary goals no one else but me had forced onto myself.